TheAzania MosakaShow

He has more than 20 years of experience in the South African ICT sector - 10 years of which were spent with Vodacom – now Romeo Kumalo has struck out on his own and is forging a new path to success.

Vodacom was “the most amazing experience”, Kumalo says, acknowledging that his time there taught him everything he now knows about technology, managing large corporate, and working across countries and continents.

But more importantly, how to create value out of air.

In mid-2015, Kumalo resigned from his executive position at Vodacom, and co-founded venture capital firm Washirika Holdings with former Absa marketing director and SuperSport CEO Happy Ntshingila.

For Kumalo, a successful business comes down to its people.

Business is about people. It's about the magic of creating teams and of working with different people.

— Romeo Kumalo, co-founder of venture capital firm Washirika Holdings

Now, in his 40s, Kumalo says he wants to make his own dent in the universe – and he plans to do this through supporting budding entrepreneurs in South Africa.

As a member of M-Net’s Shark Tank, he has been afforded the opportunity to get involved with young entrepreneurs and invest in businesses that he believes will help solve societal problems in the country.

Listen to Kumalo in conversation with Nikiwe Bikitsha in this week’s Face to Face With Success, brought to you by Nashua.